It sounds too good to be true – all your favorite local bands, playing twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

89.3 The Current (also known in the MPR newsroom as “those hipsters upstairs”) has announced it will launch “Local Current Music Stream” on April 14.

The 24-hour stream will be dedicated entirely to local music, new and old.

“The Local Current music stream is another way we can share the music and culture of Minnesota with the world,” says program director Jim McGuinn. “We are excited to offer the best local music 24/7.”

Of course, 89.3 The Current’s stream already does expose the world to quite a bit of Minnesota music. I was on vacation in New Zealand last year, and had an animated conversation with a “Kiwi” about Atmosphere and P.O.S. – he streamed The Current on his computer.

I’ve put in call to McGuinn to see if he’ll divulge what the first song will be on the new stream… back in 2005 89.3 The Current launched with “Shhh” by Atmosphere.

The Local Current music stream is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund

Starting Thursdays, listeners can tune in to the Local Current music stream at thecurrent.org/local.

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I’m Francis Tibbles, the BBC 3 Radio host of The Francis Tibbles Show. In my many visits to Minneapolis I’ve found no lack of mind-blowing local music, only a lack of creativity on the side of the stations. Why must they play the same song or same band in the same hour?

I suggest they crowd source the online station. Radio stations receive dozens of albums everyday from local musicians. I say put them all into one enormous playlist, hit shuffle, then let the people vote online. Then, if you must, for one hour a day you play the previous days highest voted material; call it “Today”. Then for an hour play the highest voted material of the previous week; call it “This Week”. Have two hours of your day scheduled, the rest is a total mix of all the local tracks. This is the method employed on video sites, and many European community radio projects (see herbst radio/reboot.fm out of Berlin).

-Francis Tibbles

Ron Setniker

I am a professional Button Accordion Performing and Recording Artist from Biwabik MN. on Minnesota’s Iron Range.

My recordings are played on radio,TV, played as backup music on various radio and TV station advertisements and sold worldwide. I play and record Slovenian/Eastern European Button Accordion Music.

Type in on your browser: Ronny Setniker – Button Accordionist and you can read about my musical career.

Question: How do I get my cd recordings to NPR so NPR can play them over the air on the 24 hour streaming you have indicated above?